Emily’s List Attacks Perdue in Georgia Senate Race

Emily’s List, a group that advocates on behalf of Democratic candidates who support abortion rights, will launch a $1 million ad campaign Friday targeting Georgia Republican Senate candidate David Perdue, focusing on a discrimination lawsuit filed by women at a company he ran.

The ad, entitled “Letter,”depicts a woman writing to Mr. Perdue to explain why she wouldn’t vote for him. The ad details the lawsuit’s charges: that Dollar General, the company where Mr. Perdue served as a CEO for four years, paid women less than men for similar positions. It concludes: “David Perdue, it would be simply wrong for you to ever get my vote.”

Mr. Perdue served as CEO of Dollar General from 2003 to 2007. In 2007, more than 2,000 female store managers filed a lawsuit against Dollar General, claiming the company consistently paid male managers more than female ones. Dollar General ultimately paid millions to settle the case in 2011, after Mr. Perdue had left the company.

The ad will run in Atlanta through September and target female swing voters, according to a spokeswoman for Emily’s List.

“David Perdue owes the people an explanation for his shady business history – why he’s killed and outsourced jobs and why his company was at the center of a pay discrimination suit – and most importantly, whether he still believes that women and men should not be paid the same amount for the same job,” said Stephanie Schriock, the group’s president, in a statement.

The Perdue campaign pushed back on the ad campaign. ”This is straight out of Michelle Nunn’s playbook and just another example of her hypocrisy and desperate plan to use outside money to deceive Georgians about her liberal record,” said Megan Whittemore, a spokeswoman for Mr. Perdue. “David Perdue is focused on fixing what’s wrong with Washington and taking his positive message directly to Georgians.”

A Rasmussen Reports poll taken at the end of July—following Mr. Perdue’s primary runoff victory—showed the Republican leading Ms. Nunn by six percentage points. Democrats see a key pickup opportunity in Georgia, where both candidates are running to replace retiring Sen. Saxby Chambliss, a Republican. Ms. Nunn is a former nonprofit executive and daughter of former Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn, a Democrat. Neither she nor Mr. Perdue have held office before.

About Washington Wire

Washington Wire is one of the oldest standing features in American journalism. Since the Wire launched on Sept. 20, 1940, the Journal has offered readers an informal look at the capital. Now online, the Wire provides a succession of glimpses at what’s happening behind hot stories and warnings of what to watch for in the days ahead. The Wire is led by Reid J. Epstein, with contributions from the rest of the bureau. Washington Wire now also includes Think Tank, our home for outside analysis from policy and political thinkers.